EXCLUSIVE: It turns out the cast shakeup at Saturday Night Live isn’t over. Ego Nwodim has decided to leave the NBC show after seven seasons.

Deadline understands that Nwodim made the decision after it was thought that the cast for Season 51 was set and ready to go ahead of its October 4 return.

“The hardest part of a great party is knowing when to say goodnight,” she said. “But after seven unforgettable seasons, I have decided to leave SNL. I am immensely grateful to Lorne [Michaels] for the opportunity, to my castmates, the writers, and the crew for their brilliance, support, and friendship. Week after week on that stage taught me more than I could have ever imagined, and I will carry those memories, and that laughter, with me always.”

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Nwodim likely will be in demand following her exit; in recent years, she increasingly has been starring in series such as Peacock’s Poker Face and Mr. Throwback and in the Netflix film Little Brother, alongside John Cena, Eric André and Michelle Monaghan. “Dream come true. I want my other dreams to come true,” she told Deadline in 2023. “I want to be in films, and I want to do more TV as well.“

Nwodim was one of the most senior female cast members on Saturday Night Live, and her departure comes after the news that Heidi Gardner, Emil Wakim, Michael Longfellow and Devon Walker also are not returning for Season 51.

Nwodim, a pre-med student who was part of UCB, joined the show in 2018, ahead of Season 44 — the sole new face joining that year. She was promoted to repertory player ahead of Season 46.

It’s somewhat of a surprise given that Nwodim has broken out in recent seasons with a memorable performance as Miss Eggy earlier this year, which saw the audience yell expletives live on television after a call and response segment.

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She also went viral with Lisa from Temecula, a lawyer whose predilection for overcooked meat has implications for the stability of her dining environment. Watch a clip of Nwodim as that character here:

Nwodim, who has also played Dionne Warwick and Edith Puthie on the show, was non-committal when asked earlier this year whether she would return for Season 51.

“We like to keep things mysterious around here,” she told Deadline. “That’s part of the allure of SNL — we don’t know what’s going to happen week to week, let alone in the fall, so who knows.”

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On the other hand, the timing of her departure makes sense, coming on the back of the 50th anniversary of SNL, a major milestone, which she admitted was a “surreal experience”, given the number of SNL legends and A-list guest stars that appeared. Nwodim, who was part of the Domingo vow renewal sketch, said it was a “special honor” to be part of that club.

“At one point, there was an event honoring Lorne between the concert on February 14 and the special, and Heidi [Gardner] said to me, ‘I thought there were 500 people in this cast, and I’m realizing there’s only a hundred-and-something of us ever to be in the cast.’ What a special honor to get to be part of that club or family. The 50th felt really nostalgic and beautiful,” Nwodim said at a recent FYC event.

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Season 51 of SNL now will consist of 17 people after Michaels added Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson and Veronika Slowikowska to the cast as well as Please Don’t Destroy’s Ben Marshall.

They join Michael Che, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, Marcello Hernandez, James Austin Johnson, Colin Jost, Sarah Sherman, Kenan Thompson, and Bowen Yang as well as featured players Ashley Padilla and Jane Wickline.

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